Suction-head for vacuum cotton-pickers.



I 'J S. THURMAN. SUCTION HEAD FOR VACUUM COTTON PI OKERS.

APPLIOATI ON FILED OOT. 15,-190B.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

2 SHEBTB-SHBET 1.

WITNESSES.-

INVENTOR fin 6. Thurman.

A TTORNEY.

J'LSL THURMAN.' SUCTION HEAD FOR VACUUM COTTON PIOKERS.

APPLICATION FILED OOT. 15,1908.

Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

2 SHEE1'S--SHEET 2 INVENTOR John 5. Th u/man WITNESSES.

4; @JWM.

A TTORNE Y.

JOHN s. THURMAN, or s'r. LOIlIS, MISSOURI.

sperms-HEA For. vacuum GOTTON-PIGKERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

fatented April 20, 1909.

Application filed. October 15, 1908. Serial No. 457,886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jon-N S. TnUnMAN, citizen of the United States, residing 'at St.

Louis, State of Missouri, have invented cer-- tain new: and useful Improvements in Suction-Hea-ds for Vacuum Cotton-Pickers, of which the following is a full, clear, and'e'xact description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in suction-headsor-tools for vacuum cotton-pickers; and. it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of tool showing the node of its application; Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan of the closed end; Fig. 4 is a combined. section andside elevation of another form of my. invention or of the jointed type of nozzle; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of tool, having a funnel shaped or flaring mouth; and Fig. 6 is a top plan of Fig. 5 (broken away) with valve drawn to openposition.

The object of my invention is to-co'nstruct a suction-header tool which is applied to the cotton-boll, the suction through the head (effected by any suitable vacuum-producing means) severing the cotton from the boll and drawing it into the head. i

I A further object is to provide the tool with a self-closing valve which will close the mouth of the tool at the conclusion of the operation, the valve when released" being held open during the picking of the cotton, by the outer wall of the 'to'ol whereby the full opening of the mouth of tlie'tool is available for. presentation to thecotton and choking of the moutlr'is avoided.

A further object is to provide a valve which need not be held in its open position by the operator thereby relieving the muscles of the hand, and permitting the operator to give moreattention to the picking opera tion..-

V A further object is toprovide a tool which is equipped with a ball andsocket joint so that the mouth of the nozzle may be readily directed to any particular boll without the necessity and inconvenience and labor of twisting the air-hose to which the tool is attached.

In detail the invention may be; described as follows:

. Referring to the drawings, and for the present ,toFigs. '1 to 3 inclusive,.1 represents the shank or body portion of a tubular suction-head, the reartapering extension 2 serving to coupleon to the line-hose H as I well understood in the art.

Mounted slidingly on the shank .1 is a sleeve 3 which is limited in its movement outwardly by the pins 4, 4, carried by the part 1, its movement in the opposite direction being limited by the annularshoulder formed between the parts 1 and 2 (Fig. 1). Secured to the sleeve 3 is a plate 5'provided lateral ears or lugs 6, 6, through which passesa pin or spindle 7 affording a hinge connection between said ears 6, and the lugs or cars 8 of an oscillating lever 9. The inner arm of the lever 9 has secured to it a disk-valve 10 provided with awasher' 11 which latter is retained in place by a disk or plate 1-2, theparts being colleetively secured by a screw 13,. W rapped about the pin 7 is a spring 8 one end of which bears a ainst the plate 5, and the other against tie lever9, the normal tendency of the spring being to force the outer arm of the lever 9 outwardly. This of course tends to force the end which carries the valve 10 inwardly or her 1. g

When the sleeve 3 is shoved to its outer limit or against the ins 4, the spring .9 forces the valve 10 over t e mouth or intake end of the tool as fully shown in Figs: 1', 2, 3. Whenoccasion arises to apply 'the tool to a toward'the axis of the mem cotton-boll C, the sleeve 3is drawn back, say to the dotted position shown in Fig; 1;," (the valve being first preferably swung tov ano en osition by an inward pressure ofthe t um on the outer-end of the lever 9) the valve being held in engagement withjthe outer wall of the member 1 under the resilient action of the spring 8'. It is obvious of. course that at the conclusion of the cottonpi'cking operation, the *sleeve is simply loo shoved outwardly whereupon the springs automatically forces the valve over the ling extension 2, the tool in other respects being the same as described in connection with Figs. 1', 2 and 3 In this modification (Fig. 4) the parts referred to form a ball-and (ct joint about which the nozzle 1 may be oscillated in any direction Without the necessity of subjecting theline-hose H to an undue twist.

In the formsdescribed thus far,- the mouth of the tool corresponds to the open end of. the tubular portion 1, 1, but in the modification .shown in Figs. 5 and 6, I provide the tubular portion or body 1" with a terminal funnelshaped or flaring mouth m, this beingresorted to in some cases to better guide the cotton into the tube 1" as it is severed from the boll by the suction through the tool. In this modification it becomes necessary to provide extended arms 6" for the mounting of the lever 9 to which the valve is secured in order that the valve may reach beyond the funnel m when the sleeve 3 is pushed up against the limitin pins 4. T To facilitate mani ulating the s eeve 3 I provide the same wit a lip or lobe a which may be engaged by the forefinger-of the operator, leaving the lever 9 to be engaged by the thumb for swinging the valve to an open position reparatory to drawing the sleeve 3 rearward y as shown. by

dotted position in Fig. 5, or full position in Fig. 6. The hose H may be slipped directly 'over the rear end of the tube 1 as is obvious.

- design of the tool, the mountings for the Of course with any change in the general valve would be correspondingly altered, such alterations coming within the skillof the ordinary mechanic. An example of such a change is shown in the modifications in Figs.

: sage-way, a member movable along the wall of the tool, and a valve on said member adapted to close over the mouth of the )assage-way for one position of said mcml)Gl', and to uncover said mouth for another position of said member.

3. A suction-tool having a suitable passage-way, a member movable to and lrom the mouth of said passage-way, and a valve 'coupled to said member and closing over the mouth of said passage-way for a movement of the member to a position contiguous to the action of the spring upon a shifting of the movable member to. a said mouth.

position adjacent to 5. A' suction-tool having a suitable passage-way, a sleeve mounted thereon and adjustable to and from the mouth of the assage-way, a spring-controlled valve ringed to the sleeve and held in an open position by engagement with the outer wall of the tool upon a movement of the sleeve a suitable distance from the mouth of the passage-way, the valve automatically closing over the mouth under the action of the spring by a movement of the sleeve close to t e end of the passage-Way.

6. A suction-tool comprising a tube, a sleeve loosely encom assing the same, means at the-intake end oi the tube for arresting the movement of the'sleeve in'one direction,

ears formed on the sleeve, a valve hinged to said ears, a s ring for 'forcin the valve against the we s of the tube w ereby u on the shifting of the sleeve to the limit 0 its movement toward the intake end of the tube, the spring automatically forces the valve over the mouth of the tube, and a lever arm coupled to the valve for opening the same.

7. In combination with a member adapted to be cou led to a line of hose, an air nozzle coupled t ereto by a ball-and-socket joint for directing such nozzle in any desirable direction, and a valve for closing over the mouth of the nozzle.

8. A suction-tool having a suitable passage-way terminating in a flaring mout 1, a member movable along the wall olthe tool, and a valve coupled to said membenand adapted to close over the mouth aforesaid for one position of the said member, the valve bemg held in an 0 en position upon the shifting of the movab e member a suitable distance from the mouth of the tool.

9. In combination with a suction tool, a valve mounted thereon for closing over the mouth of the same, the tool retaining the valve in open position during the operation of the tool. 1

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

. I JOHN S. TIIURMAN.

Jitnesses:

Emu. STAREK, MAnnL L. BURNS. 

